Hi,
Being an Excel dummy I was hoping someone here could help me.
I have master data file, call it data.xls, in which data can be added (ie new rows added) or data modified (ie changed in columns on existing rows). Column A is the file numbers, and the rest of the columns are data values associated with those file numbers.

I also have a separate workbook, call it work.xls, which I need to obtain the data in certain columns from data.xls for all the rows (including new ones). The data in work.xls is then referenced using data validation in a different worksheet in work.xls to create a dropdown list of the file numbers, and then several cells in that worksheet display certain data values for those file numbers.

Basically, what I need is to be able to add new file numbers to the data.xls workbook, or modify existing data, and have it automatically update the data worksheet in work.xls, and the dropdown list worksheet.

The problem is I need the data in work.xls to be able to stand alone from the data.xls data. This is because the work.xls file will be used on a stand alone computer that has no connection to the data.xls file. So I need a work.xls file that can be updated from the data.xls file (on a connected computer), then put on a memory stick, and copied to the separate computer, and still have all the updated data available to be displayed on the dropdown list worksheet.

I hope I have explained this clearly. Any help would be appreciated.
thanks.